Memory-Based Learning to Support Caregivers of Individuals with ADRD

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Brooke Drenowatz Psychology
Advisor(s): Uma Tauber Psychology

Caring for another person can be demanding and stressful, and this is true for people providing care for a person living with dementia (PLwD). The stress process model (Pearlin et al., 1990) divides care triggers into primary stressors and primary subjective stressors. An example of primary stressors is managing difficult symptoms of dementia. An example of primary subjective stressors is feeling overwhelmed about providing help to a PLwD. Sadly, both types of stressors can negatively impact the wellbeing of caregivers (Lau et al., 2010; Polenick et al., 2020). Our study aims to explore how our psychoeducational intervention using structured retrieval practice (SRP; Shumaker, Ariel, & Tauber, submitted) impacts caregivers’ self-reported stress. We hope to reduce caregivers’ stress by providing high-quality care for their loved one living with dementia. Further, we hope to reduce both primary stressors and primary subjective stressors for caregivers. To explore this issue, caregivers will learn about the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) through either an SRP-based learning intervention or a reading-only control condition. The SRP intervention uses structured retrieval practice, whereas the control condition mimics reading from available sources online. Caregivers’ perceived stress will be measured before and after the intervention using the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983). We will examine whether stress ratings improve more for the SRP intervention compared to the reading condition. This is a first step for determining if the educational intervention improves measures of caregivers’ well-being. Data collection is ongoing, with approximately half of the target sample enrolled, and this presentation represents preliminary findings from the initial cohort.

Age-Related Differences in Perceived Severity of a Nonviolent Crime: A Vignette-Based Study

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Zoe Esquivel Psychology Alex Androvett Psychology Ollie Ansley Psychology Renee Castillo Psychology Barbara Crespo Psychology Jefflynn Hall Psychology Helen Kastner Psychology Kevin Knight Psychology Reese Lancaster Psychology Anneliise Larson Psychology Samantha Lopez Psychology Leen Siddiqui Psychology
Advisor(s): Amanda Sease Psychology

Research suggests that demographic characteristics, particularly age, significantly shape perceptions of crime and sentencing outcomes (Gleadell, 2019). Studies indicate a notable disparity in punitive leanings: younger adults tend to recommend harsher measures, whereas older adults often favor more lenient punishments (Hosch et al., 2011). This divergence may be driven by age-related increases in empathy, which can temper retributive impulses (Beadle & Vega, 2019), or by younger individuals’ limited experience with the legal system, which may hinder their ability to assess proportional sentencing (Hosch et al., 2011). Despite judicial instructions to remain objective, sentencing decisions frequently reflect these preexisting beliefs and personal experiences (Curley et al., 2022). To further explore this relationship, the current study examines how age influences perceptions of crime severity. Community members of Tarrant county were asked to read a vignette describing a low-level, nonviolent offense and rated its seriousness on a 5-point Likert scale. It is hypothesized that younger participants will perceive the offense as significantly more severe than older participants. By highlighting these generational differences, this research aims to better understand how age-related biases influence legal decision-making and inform broader discussions on legislative reform.

Structured Retrieval Practice (SRP) Intervention For Learning Medication Side-Effects Across the Lifespan

Type: Graduate
Author(s): Corinne Getzendanner Psychology Ariana Elsden Psychology
Advisor(s): Uma Tauber Psychology

The ability to recall information through associations plays a crucial role across the lifespan, and is particularly important in learning health-related information. However, substantial evidence has revealed age-related declines in paired-associate learning, which involves remembering a connection between two items (Naveh-Benjamin et al., 2007). Older adults (defined here as aged 60+) often take multiple prescription medications, many of which can pose significant health risks when combined with other drugs or substances (Qato et al., 2008). Age-related memory loss can make remembering those connections more difficult. Research in the science of learning has shown that retrieval practice can significantly enhance long-term memory compared to passive strategies like rereading (Agarwal et al., 2021). As such, improving older adults’ ability to remember drug interactions through the use of retrieval practice represents a meaningful and practical goal.

To examine whether retrieval practice can improve associative memory for drug interactions, we presented both young and older adult participants with 8 fictitious medications (e.g. Floragin) and an associated interaction and outcome (diarrhea when used with alcohol). All participants studied the drugs with their corresponding substance interaction and side effects. Each participant completed 5 study blocks, with participants in the restudy condition simply rereading each medication, while those in the structured retrieval practice (SRP) condition took a practice test with immediate feedback. All participants were given an immediate test and asked to recall the interacting substance and outcome when given the medication name. Two days later, participants from both conditions completed an identical delayed test.

We hypothesized that those in the SRP condition will successfully recall more medication-interaction and outcome pairs than the restudy condition, even after the 2-day delay. We also hypothesized that the younger adults will display better recall than the older adults. Interim analyses revealed that participants who engaged in SRP demonstrated better recall compared to those in the restudy condition, regardless of age group. Critically, this outcome reveals that retrieval practice is an effective strategy for learning medication interactions. Data collection for the older adult sample is ongoing, so the lack of interaction between condition and age group should be considered preliminary

Multi-Informant Discrepancies of Mental Health in Autistic Adolescents

Type: Graduate
Author(s): Abbie Heidenreich Psychology Naomi Ekas Psychology Lexi McGinnes Psychology Trey McKamey Psychology
Advisor(s): Naomi Ekas Psychology

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities and differences in reciprocal social communication abilities (APA, 2013). Prior research emphasizes the importance of including multiple informants when collecting data on child psychopathology (De Los Reyes, 2011). For example, results of a study conducted by Baumgarter et al., (2020) suggested large informant discrepancies between adolescents and their parents regarding the child’s mental health. However, there is a lack of research examining informant discrepancies between autistic adolescents and their parents. Therefore, the current study examined informant discrepancies between dyads (mother-father, mother-child, father-child) in a sample of autistic adolescents regarding adolescent mental health.

Methods: Participants included 117 autistic adolescents between the age of 10 and 17 years old. Both parents and the adolescent completed a series of questionnaires related to the adolescent’s mental health. Parents completed questionnaires regarding their child’s symptoms of depression and anxiety. Adolescents completed self-report measures of their own depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Results: A series of t-tests were conducted in order to examine whether there were discrepancies in ratings of depressive and anxiety symptoms between parents and their child. For each mental health outcome, a series of three t-tests were conducted including, mother versus father report, mother versus child report, and father versus child report. For depressive symptoms, all t-tests were non-significant (p > .05) suggesting that mothers, fathers, and their children agree in the rating of the adolescent’s depressive symptoms. However, for anxiety symptoms, there was a significant difference between both mother versus father report, t(117) = 3.30, p < .001, as well as father versus child report t(115) = -4.18, p < .001. These results revealed that mothers and adolescents are reporting higher anxiety symptoms than fathers. In addition, there was no difference between mother and child report of anxiety symptoms (p > .05), suggesting that mothers and adolescents agree in the rating of the adolescent’s anxiety symptoms.

Discussion: Overall, the results of the current study suggest that the family generally agrees on the rating of the child’s depressive symptoms, however, there are discrepancies in the rating of the child’s anxiety symptoms with fathers reporting less anxiety symptoms as compared to the mother and adolescent report. These discrepancies highlight the importance of including multiple informants when examining child psychopathology. Future research should consider possible predictors (i.e., symptom severity, child gender, parent mental health) of these discrepancies.

Anchored in Time: Exploring the Experince of Temporal Rootedness

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Olivia Hundley Psychology Nathan Gillespie Psychology Bao Han Tran Psychology
Advisor(s): Cathy Cox Psychology

Research shows that a sense of belonging predicts meaning in life (Lambert et al., 2013). While psychologists have studied how individuals develop a sense of belonging with others, little attention has been given to the sense of belonging in time, or temporal rootedness (Baldwin & Keefer, 2020). Temporal rootedness has previously been defined as what makes people feel like they are living in the “right time” or that they “belong in the present.” Despite its positive link to well-being, its definition and content have remained unexplored. This study replicates Baldwin and Keefer (2020) to examine temporal rootedness and compare the themes that persist across time (i.e., 2020 and 2025). Additionally, this research will serve to help further define the construct, assist in creating a better operationalization of TR, and broaden manipulation techniques. A representative sample of participants (N = 386) was recruited via Prolific to describe their source of temporal rootedness and complete a questionnaire assessing time metaphors, human flourishing, existential isolation, social and economic conservatism, familiarity with technology, and perceived discrimination. These findings will improve our understanding of TR for future research.

Academic Satisfaction and Internalizing Symptoms in College Students: The Moderating Role of Helicopter Parenting

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Riley Lewis Psychology Naomi Ekas Psychology Abbie Heidenreich Psychology Kaitlin Hinch Psychology
Advisor(s): Naomi Ekas Psychology

Introduction: Parents can have a crucial impact on their child’s academic performance and internalizing symptoms. For example, parents who engage in helicopter parenting, are excessively involved and monitor their children, which is associated with mental health problems (Schiffrin et al., 2014). Children's report of maternal helicopter parenting is associated to perfectionist discrepancies, extrinsic motivation to learn, and avoidance to goals in learning which have been related to lower academic performance (Schiffrin et al., 2014). However, there is a lack of research that examines the role of helicopter parenting in college students' academic satisfaction and mental health outcomes. Thus, the overall goal of the current study is to examine the associations between helicopter parenting, academic satisfaction, and internalizing symptoms.

Method: 667 college students from Southern Methodist University and Texas Christian University served as participants for this study. All students participated during Spring of 2019. Students answered surveys about their parents' levels of helicopter parenting, their own mental health, and their academic performance. Measures used in the current analysis include Padilla-Walker & Nelson Helicopter Parenting Scale (Padilla-Walker & Nelson, 2012), Inventory for Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS; Watson et al., 2007), and College Student Subjective Well-Being Scale (Renshaw & Bolognino, 2016).

Results: A two-way moderated regression examined the effect of academic satisfaction (centered) on depressive symptoms as a function of helicopter parenting (centered) in a sample of college students. The results indicated significant main effects for both academic satisfaction, b= -1.12 (SE = .09), t = - 11.82, p ≤ .001, such that as academic satisfaction increases depressive symptoms decrease, and helicopter parenting, b = 1.88 (SE = .84), t = 2.25, p ≤ .001 such that as helicopter parenting increases depressive symptoms decrease. However, there was not a significant interaction between academic satisfaction and helicopter parenting, b = .13 (SE = .15), t = .83, p = .41.

Another two-way moderated regression examined the effect of academic satisfaction (centered) on college students' well-being as a function of helicopter parenting (centered). The results indicated that there was a significant main effect for academic satisfaction, b= 0.61 (SE = .04), t = 14.01, p ≤ .001. There was no significant main effect for helicopter parenting, b = - 0.35 (SE = .04), t = -0.91, p = 0.36. However, these main effects were qualified by a significant interaction, b = - .17 (SE = .07), t = - 2.35, p = .02. To probe at this interaction further, we conducted simple slope analyses to examine the relationship between academic satisfaction on students' well-being at low, mean, and high levels of helicopter parenting. The results revealed that at low (-1 SD), b = 0.71 (SE = .06), t = 11.83, p ≤ .001, mean, b = .61 (SE = .04), t = 14.01, p ≤ .001, and high (+1 SD), b = .51 (SE = .06), t = 7.88, p ≤ .001, levels of helicopter parenting, higher student academic satisfaction resulted in higher well-being. Overall, these results suggest that academic satisfaction can serve as a protective factor against helicopter parenting for a college students’ emotional well-being.

Discussion: The results of the current study revealed that helicopter parenting is significantly associated with an increase in depressive symptoms in college students. These results are consistent with past research (Wang et al., 2025). However, academic satisfaction appears to be a potential protective factor against helicopter parenting for students’ well-being. It is possible that when students are satisfied with their academic success can potentially protect from the negative impacts from helicopter parenting. It is important to note a potential limitation of the current study such that, the sample is not representative of the broader population but rather the sample of high-income college-aged students. Overall, based on these findings, school psychologists should focus on increasing academic satisfaction by fostering a supportive environment for students, and aiding in aligning students' courses to their preferences and personal strengths in order to counter potential parental pressures.

Perceptions and Experiences of ADHD in Higher Education

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Ava McConnell Psychology
Advisor(s): Michelle Chen Psychology

Parental Attachment and Emotional Intelligence in Law Enforcement Officers

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Sydnee Moody Psychology Kayla Rabb Psychology
Advisor(s): Danica Knight Psychology

Associations between Autism Symptom Severity and Parent Relationship Quality in Parents of Autistic Children

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Emily Ozawa Psychology Naomi Ekas Psychology Ramzi Quintanilla Psychology Whitney Sullivan Psychology
Advisor(s): Naomi Ekas Psychology

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities and differences in reciprocal social communication abilities (APA, 2013; CDC, 2023). Research has indicated that children’s autistic symptoms have been associated with increases in parenting stress and coparenting conflict (Chan & Leung, 2020). Autistic children’s externalizing behaviors have a significant impact on the relationship satisfaction of parents (Sim et al., 2016). Mothers and fathers of autistic children reported higher severity of their marital conflicts compared to parents of non-autistic children (Hartley et al., 2017). Past research has indicated that power dynamics of couples have been associated with lower levels of martial satisfaction (Lennon et al., 2012). However, there is no existing research on the impact of autistic children’s symptoms on power dynamics of parents with autistic children. Thus, the overall goal of the current study was to examine the associations between autism symptom severity and parent relationship quality in parents of autistic children. An additional aim of the study was to examine whether differences in relationship quality between mothers and fathers occur.
Participants included 111 parents of autistic children who completed a Zoom study examining couple interactions. Couples answered a series of questionnaires related to relationship satisfaction, couple conflict, and power dynamics. The current study used the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS; Constantino, 2021), Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI; Funk & Rogge, 2007), Conflict and Problem-Solving scale (CPS; Kerig, 1996), and Relationship Power Inventory (RPI; Farrell et al., 2015).
A series of linear regression models were conducted to examine whether autism symptom severity predicts relationship quality in parents of autistic children (i.e., power dynamics, relationship satisfaction, and couple conflict). Separate models were conducted for each parent. There was a significant positive association between autism symptom severity and father’s perceived power (b = .03, SE = .01, t = 2.84, p < .005). All other results for mothers and fathers were non-significant (ps ≥.066).
The significant finding of autism symptom severity predicting father’s perceived power may indicate that fathers may feel responsible for being the head of the household. Thus, they may feel a sense of power related to being responsible for their child. Non-significant results for mothers may be due to their perceived role as being primary caregiver. Mothers may not experience a change in their relationship quality since they spend more time with their autistic child and thus enduring varying levels of autism symptom severity. Strengths of this study include responses from both mothers and fathers and participant diversity in geographic location, age, and ethnicity. A limitation to this study is the use of self-reported measures which could lead to response bias. In the future, researchers should examine whether a third variable may confer or buffer the researched associations. In addition, future researchers should use observational measures rather than self-reported measures to reduce response bias. Results of the current study suggest that fathers may benefit from tailored interventions aimed at power dynamics between partners. In addition, although couples counseling is important, mothers of autistic children may not necessarily need the additional support.

Faculty Perceptions of ADHD In Higher Education

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Sarah Pelinger Psychology
Advisor(s): Michelle Chen Psychology

Improving Caregiver Education about Dementia Through the Science of Learning

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Michala Pollard Psychology
Advisor(s): Uma Tauber Psychology

Improving Caregiver Education about Dementia Through the Science of Learning
Michala Pollard, Emma Goffard, Ariana Elsden, Lesca Hadley, & Uma Tauber
Most (83%) of the care provided to people living with dementia (PLwD) is provided by informal caregivers such as family members or friends who are not paid for their assistance. Informal caregivers’ 18 billion hours of care is valued at $339.5 billion for 2022 alone (Alzheimer’s Association, 2024). Caregivers for PLwD often assist with complex medical tasks and manage challenging emotional and behavioral symptoms of dementia with limited formal training (e.g., Fortinsky & Hathaway, 1990; Penrod & Dellasega, 1998; Ringer et al., 2020). As the demand for caregiving increases, it is critical to understand how caregivers can best learn and retain essential information for managing ADRD care.
The goal of is project is to establish methods to improve caregiver education about the behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) of dementia. Specifically, our educational intervention incorporates principles from the science of learning for structuring retrieval practice to optimize learning (e.g., Agarwal et al., 2021; Sumowski et al., 2010; Tse et al., 2010; Woods et al., 2021). We compared the structured retrieval practice intervention against an active control comparison to determine the degree to which structured retrieval practice enhances caregivers’ long-term retention of dementia care information.
Caregivers of PLwD were recruited from the community and underwent an online survey screening and video or in-person screening prior to study enrollment. Caregivers learned 4 modules on emotion and mood symptoms of dementia – agitation, irritation, apathy, and depression – via the learning intervention or active control (rereading). Caregivers took an immediate test of their knowledge approximately 10 minutes after study and after a 2-day delay. Our novel intervention significantly increased caregivers’ knowledge immediately, and their knowledge was maintained 2 days later at a significantly higher rate relative to the active control comparison.

Examining Support & Perceived Necessity of Trauma-Informed Care in Human Service Sectors

Type: Graduate
Author(s): Kayla Rabb Psychology
Advisor(s): Danica Knight Psychology

There is an ever-increasing push for trauma-informed practices to be integrated into human service sectors and systems of care (e.g., criminal justice, education, healthcare). Trauma is a well-documented public health concern, leading many systems to revise their approach to care to emphasize a trauma-informed lens of “what has happened to you” as opposed to “what is wrong you” with those they are serving. As service providers in these systems of care are charged with integrating trauma-informed care (TIC) into their everyday practices, further research is needed to examine those factors contributing to successful TIC implementation, including whether service providers see the value in TIC. The presented study serves as a pilot, addressing this gap by exploring beliefs about the necessity for and feasibility of implementing TIC. The presented study looks to sample 175 undergraduate students majoring or minoring in human service professions (e.g. social work, healthcare, education, criminal justice). The study will employ a pre-post two-group experimental design, in which participants will read vignettes depicting individuals seeking care from a human service sector, followed by questions about the appropriateness of the interactions. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the control group (which will receive unrelated educational information) or the exposure group (which will receive educational information about trauma-informed practices) before reevaluating the vignettes again. Pre-and post-test measures will assess changes in beliefs regarding the necessity and feasibility of TIC as a function of group assignment (treatment vs. control). Thus, the presented study looks to document beliefs about the perceived necessity and feasibility of using TIC in human service systems and to explore whether these perceptions change after exposure to TIC education in future service providers.

Caught in the Middle: Exploring the Nature of Situationships

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Grace Rickey Psychology Melissa Brillhart Psychology
Advisor(s): Sarah Hill Psychology

Situationships represent an increasingly common form of romantic involvement, with nearly 40 percent of Americans and half of young adults ages 18 to 34 reporting having been in one (YouGov, 2024). Although these relationships resemble traditional dating in terms of emotional connection, sexual involvement, and shared time, they lack labels, commitment, and clearly defined expectations (Langlais et al., 2024). Despite their prevalence, situationships remain understudied. Therefore, the present study investigated whether power dynamics and gender influence investment strategies in situationships. To investigate this, heterosexual men and women ages 18 to 32 were recruited through Prolific, and participants who reported being in a situationship were assigned into one of four conditions: woman in control, woman not in control, man in control, or man not in control. 400 eligible respondents (100 per condition) completed measures of mate retention behaviors and situationship investment. It was hypothesized that situationships controlled by women, compared to those controlled by men, would involve male partners engaging in more resource display and greater expressions of love and care, whereas situationships controlled by men would involve the female partners engaging in more appearance enhancement and sexual behaviors as investment strategies. Data are forthcoming.

The association between environmental threat cues and women's mating strategies

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Stephen Roberts Psychology Melissa Brillhart Psychology
Advisor(s): Sarah Hill Psychology

During ancestral times, while women focused on child-rearing, they relied on their male mates to protect their family. Nowadays, women can protect their families themselves by employing strategies like using a home security system or owning a firearm. However, modern women continue to form long-term relationships with men to reduce the risk of encountering harm (Wilson & Mesnick, 1997). Crucially, men will not provide investment without getting something in return. One resource that men value that women can provide in exchange for investment is granting men sexual access (Baumeister & Vohs, 2004). Therefore, given that women continue to use men as a protective resource and men will accept sexual access in exchange, we should find that women in dangerous environments are more sexually open. This study aims to examine the impact of dangerous environments on women’s sexual strategies. Importantly, no previous research has focused on this. Overall, I predict that women who are primed with dangerous environment cues, compared to women who are primed with a control condition, will show higher levels of sexual openness. By gaining more knowledge about how dangerous environments can influence women’s mating strategies, we can better understand how evolutionary mechanisms continue to influence women’s sexual behaviors. Data are forthcoming.

A Qualitative Analysis of Barriers and Facilitators to Care Engagement: Staff and Client Perspectives on the ACTION Intervention

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Morayma Rodriguez Psychology
Advisor(s): Kevin Knight Psychology Stephanie Villaire Psychology

Many barriers to accessing treatment for substance use disorder and HIV among those on community supervision are well-documented, including a lack of transportation, lack of reentry care, and lack of awareness of services. To address these barriers, a NIDA-funded R01, ACTION, aimed to promote engagement in care for infectious diseases (like HIV/AIDS) and opioid use disorder for individuals on probation in Texas. When conducting these large studies, it is imperative to understand participant and staff perceptions of an intervention’s feasibility and acceptability. Therefore, the current study aims to analyze the similarities and differences in opinions and attitudes of the success of the intervention identified by project staff and client. To examine this, a deductive qualitative analysis of 6 project staff and 20 clients was completed using Atlas.ti. Staff identified communication, state resources and facilities, and issues with pharmacies as key barriers to the intervention, whereas clients cited scheduling and transportation as key barriers. Staff identified the ability to communicate with other staff for resources, meeting clients in person, and meeting in the mobile health unit as key strengths of the intervention, whereas clients cite receiving healthcare services and interaction with the patient navigator and research assistant as key strengths. Understanding these barriers to and facilitators of the ACTION interventions allows researchers to see what works and what can create issues in the study.

The Impact of Helicopter Parenting and Emerging Adults' Perceptions of Parental Conflict on their Romantic Relationships: The Mediating Role of Adult Attachment

Type: Graduate
Author(s): Whitney Sullivan Psychology Ava Burton Psychology Jasmine Durrant Psychology
Advisor(s): Naomi Ekas Psychology

The term helicopter parenting (i.e., parents’ over-involvement in the lives of their child) has been used to describe parents who exercise increased involvement and control over their child and is mostly regarded as developmentally inappropriate for emerging adults (Kouros et al., 2017; Padilla-Walker & Nelson, 2012). The association between helicopter parenting and poorer relationship satisfaction in college students has recently been observed (Jiao et al., 2024). Interparental conflict has been associated with poor relationship quality in emerging adults (Parade et al., 2012; Singh & Thomas, 2023). In addition, studies have indicated that interparental conflict and helicopter parenting predict negative attachment characteristics in children (Laurent et al., 2008; Miller et al., 2024). The goal of the current study was to examine the associations between helicopter parenting, interparental conflict, and parenting warmth on college students’ relationship satisfaction. An additional goal of the current study was to examine the extent to which negative attachment-related behaviors (i.e., anxiety and avoidance) explain these associations.

Participants included 413 undergraduate students in a romantic relationship who were enrolled in psychology courses across two private universities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Students completed a series of questionnaires through an online survey platform in exchange for course credit. Measures used for the current study included the Consolidated Helicopter Parenting Scale (CHPS; Schiffrin et al., 2019), the Conflict Properties subscale of the Children's Perception of the Interparental Conflict Scale (CPIC; Grych et al., 1992), the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI; Parker et al., 1979), the Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR; Miller et al., 2024), and the Couples Satisfaction index (CSI; Funk & Rogge, 2007).

A structural regression model was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM) in MPlus (Muthén & Muthén, 2017) to examine the associations between relationship satisfaction and parenting behaviors as well as interparental conflict mediated by level of attachment-related anxiety and avoidance. Significant negative associations were observed between relationship satisfaction and conflict properties (b = -.09 (SE = .05), p = .050), and level of attachment-related anxiety (b = -.19 (SE = .05), p ≤ .001) and avoidance (b = -.49 (SE = .04), p ≤ .001). Direct associations between relationship satisfaction and helicopter parenting as well as parental warmth were non-significant (ps ≥ .206). Significant positive associations were observed between attachment-related anxiety and helicopter parenting (b = .33 (SE = .05), p ≤ .001) and conflict properties (b = .17 (SE = .05), p = .001). Helicopter parenting was positively associated with attachment-related avoidance (b = .19 (SE = .05), p ≤ .001). All other effects were non-significant, ps ≥ .119.

Findings of the current study indicate that helicopter parenting behaviors increase negative attachment-related behaviors (i.e., anxiety and avoidance) in college students, which, in turn, decreases their relationship satisfaction with their current romantic partner. Interparental conflict negatively impacts college students’ relationship satisfaction. Parental warmth does not impact college students’ attachment-related behaviors or their relationship satisfaction. A strength of the current study is a large sample size well-powered for conducted analyses. Limitations include use of self-report measures and a non-representative sample as most participants were White females. Future research should examine these associations over time as well as include the use of observational measures. Clinicians working with college students with helicopter parenting and interparental conflict experiences should implement interventions designed to strengthen positive attachment-related behaviors.

• The Link Between Natural Mentoring and Resiliency in the Face of Adverse Experiences and Insecure Attachment

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Jessie Swartz Psychology Lillyan Shelley Psychology
Advisor(s): Danica Knight Psychology

Surrender and psychosomatics: State of surrender (SoS) as a novel target for reducing anxiety sensitivity

Type: Undergraduate
Author(s): Michael Wrucke Psychology
Advisor(s): Cathy Cox Psychology Thomas Sease Psychology

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) refers to the fear of bodily sensations typically associated with physiological arousal. High AS is a transdiagnostic predictor of poor mental health outcomes, such as panic disorder, other anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and overall functional impairment. Individuals with high AS may exhibit body hypervigilance, and in turn, be more likely to experience psychosomatic symptoms. A State of Surrender (SoS) refers to one's ability to accept what is to come without resistance and relinquish control. It has been associated with greater well-being, and preliminary data suggests it is negatively associated to anxiety and AS, mediated by distress tolerance. To further test this, we will recruit individuals on Prolific and randomly assign them to either a surrender-based meditation protocol or a control condition. We will measure functional somatic symptoms, trait anxiety, distress tolerance, self-efficacy, and anxiety sensitivity. We predict that individuals in the experimental condition will endorse less AS, mediated by self-reported SoS. We also predict that the effect will be greater for individuals with more somatic symptoms. Findings will suggest further exploration of acceptance-based treatment for individuals with high AS and other psychosomatic complaints.